Cheboiywo dominates 10,000; Jennings fails to advance in 1,500; Exciting showdowns set for women's steeplechase and 1,500

By Bob Ramsak

With a performance as dominant as his NCAA cross country title run last November, Boaz Cheboiywo of Eastern Michigan claimed the 10,000 meter title Thursday night in convincing fashion.

Taking the lead for good less than four laps into the race, the junior from Kenya crossed the line in 28:32.10, more than 30 seconds ahead of Notre Dame's Ryan Shay.

"I feel really good after winning the NCAA for the second time, since I only started running again about two months ago," Cheboiywo said. A stress fracture forced him to miss more than three months of training, including the entire indoor season. Four weeks into his return, he earned his 10k qualifier in Stanford, and two weeks ago, handily won the Mid American Conference 5k/10k double, the latter with an impressive solo 13:56.64 effort. "I also appreciate my effort. I felt very prepared for this race."

The race for second was between Shay and Dartmouth's Tom McArdle, who ran together throughout most of the race, before Shay outkicked his competitor in the homestretch, crossing the line in 29:02.92, nearly eight seconds ahead of McArdle.

Soon after the lead trio passed the 1,000 meter point in 2:53.7, Cheboiywo took it upon himself to speed things up.

"I thought the pace was too slow -- like 78 or 79," he explained. "Then I said, 'Hey, if the race is going to go this way, then we are going to run like 35 (minutes), and the last lap would be around 56.' So I said to myself, 'let me just push it a little bit.' It was a test for myself, and to see how the humidity would affect the race."

He begin clicking off several 67 and 68 second laps, crossing 3k in 8:26.60 and reaching the halfway point in 14:07.78, before slowing the tempo somewhat in the latter stages.

"My coach told me it was too fast, and told me to relax and get my rhythm."

Cheboiywo was hoping for a sub-28-minute clocking, but the Baton Rouge humidity would not cooperate. "If the weather was a little bit cooler, and humidity less so, we could have done it. Unfortunately, we could not."

In and of itself, a largely solo half minute margin of victory was notable, but Cheboiywo was so dominant that he lapped 11 of the 18 finishers in the process.

"It motivates me to see someone run in front of me. You know, you cannot judge your pace when you run solo, so I took advantage of it when I saw someone there."

Shay soon realized that the real race would be for the runner-up spot.

"He's (Cheboiywo) been known this outdoor season to go out and then come back, but that never happened."

"I was hoping (McArdle) would go out and do some of the work, but he didn't, which was a mistake on his part because I knew I could outkick him."

Oregon sophomore Jason Hartmann lead the main pack, finishing fourth in 29:28.80. Stanford's Louis Luchini was fifth in 29:29.70.

The first major casualty of the preliminary rounds was 2000 Olympian Gabe Jennings, who was kept from a spot in Saturday's 1,500 final by three one-hundredths of a second.

Running in the second and slowest heat, where a mere half second separated the first and last place finishers, a clearly-disappointed Jennings finished sixth in 3:45.22, putting a premature end to his collegiate career.

"I'm ready to roll, I'm ready to drum, I'm ready to fly," said Jennings, who finished runner-up last year and won in 2000. "It's embarassing for my last (collegiate) race. I felt fine, it was just complete idiocy of just not being aware. I should have been conscious of where I was."

Stanford teammate Grant Robison won in 3:45.11 with Kansas senior Charlie Gruber second in 3:45.13 edging Alan Webb by one one-hundredth of a second. Sean O'Brien of American University and Wisconsin freshman Josh Spiker also advanced.

In the first heat, seasonal leader Dan Wilson of Connecticut forged to the lead with 250 meters to go, winning handily n 3:40.27.

"I got anxious with 300 to go, so I busted out at 250, and was pretty much on my own from there," Wilson said. "I've got a couple more gears that I don't think a lot of these guys have seen. I'm really looking forward to Saturday."

Brandon Strong of Arizona State was second in 3:41.54. Stanford's Donald Sage, Chris Mulvaney of Arkansas, Adrian Blincoe and Ryan Hayden of Villanova and Montana's Scott McGowan also advanced.

But it was Jennings' miscalculation that was the buzz of the evening.

"I was running comfortably, I mean I was fine. I've been focusing all my efforts for the finals and the Webb rivalry, and I can't even make it to the line. Visibly stunned and frustrated, the often-animated Jennings expressed his regret that the much-anticipated meeting with Webb would not transpire.

"It's really unfortunate. Webb is such a talented young runner -- one of the best, it's fair to say, that we've ever had. Maybe that the world has ever had. I was just eager to go up against this man-child. It's just so frustrating. I wish we could run it over right now."

Wondering aloud, he shook his head. "I have plenty of energy. It was just idiocy. Like everything I talk about, about being tough, and I save it all for the final. Sometimes the hardest part is just making it to the line."

Jokingly, Jennings asked, "Do you think there's any way I can get a bye as a past defending champion?" Then, the serious introspection resumed.

"I should have lost my pride and turned my head and said, 'I gotta push it here.' But I didn't."

Webb expressed some regret for Jennings faux pas as well.

"Gabe's a great runner. We all have our ups and downs. I for one can say I've had my downs this year so I'm looking for my ups right now. It's tough. Our pace was a lot slower than the first heat, so there's not really a whole lot you can do."

In the steeplechase, Toledo junior Briana Shook continued her impressive season, winning her prelim in 9:58.97, the second fastest NCAA time of the year, and the fifth fastest ever collegiate clocking.

"I knew I was running against some awesome girls," said the Mid-American Conference steeplechase and 5,000 champion, "so if I wanted to make it through I had to run fast."

And she did. Assuming the lead from the outset, Shook forged a 90 meter lead at one point, before Brigham Young sophomore Michaela Manova began reeling her in before the final water jump. Manova took the lead in the homestretch, before Shook regained command over the final few strides. Manova also dipped under the ten minute mark, clocking 9:59.54.

"It felt okay," Shook said of her solo front-running. "It's my first time here. I just wanted to do well."

As it turns out, Shook was not running alone. She competes with a photo of her grandfather, Joseph, who passed away last January, pinned to her uniform. "He runs with me now."

In only her third steeplechase race ever, North Carolina freshman Carol Henry won her prelim in 10:07.01, leading virtually from the gun.

"I wasn't pushing at all," said Henry, who was sixth in the ACC Championship in April. "I was just running relaxed."

Roisin McGettigan of Providence charged from sixth place with a half lap to go to finish second in 10:11.23, a few steps ahead of North Carolina State senior Katie Sabino.

In the women's 1,500, Arkansas junior Christin Wurth led all qualifiers with her 4:16.80 win, edging favorite Shalane Flanagan by four one-hundredths of a second.

"It was a tough race," Wurth said. "I was just trying to stay with the front-runners, and I was very surprised I won the race. It was a big shock."

Looking ahead to the final, Flanagan already has her race mapped out.

"600 to go is where I really need to make a move. I don't see anyone leading, so I see myself probably leading, which really stinks, but I don't think anyone else is really aggressive enough to go out there and lead it. I feel like I'll have to do most of the work and make a gutsy move and really go for it. That might blow up in my face, but at least I'll know that I tried."

The other prelim was a tactical one, with Lena Nilsson of UCLA prevailing in 4:23.42 over Florida freshman Natalie Hughes (4:24.23). Indoor mile champion Heather Sagan passed a fading Londa Bevins, the early pace-setter, to take third.

"I think it's going to take a 4:13 or 4:14 to win it in the finals," Nilsson said. "I think I'll still have enough in me."

Friday's distance events include the finals of the men's and women's 800, the men's steeplechase, and women's 5,000.